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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey May 14, 2011

Aaronson on pork choppers, Aguilar on sanctuary cities legislation, Galbraith on Brownsville's ban on plastic bags, Grissom on Delma Banks and prosecutorial misconduct, Hamilton on a tough week for higher education in Texas, Philpott on wildfires and politics, Ramshaw on the state's pursuit of a federal Medicaid overhaul, M. Smith on what would happen if lawmakers don't rewrite school finance formulas, yours truly on the Lege as schoolyard and Stiles with interactive graphics on how the proposed Senate redistricting maps compare with current ones: The best of our best content from May 9 to 13, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
House Approves Four Loko Ban

By Becca Aaronson May 13, 2011

The Texas House passed a bill today on malt liquor drinks that contain caffeine, ginseng, taurine or guarana. The bill prohibits the sale, manufacture, import and possessing of alcoholic energy drinks, like the infamous Four Loko. Full Story
On the Records: Complaints Lead Valley Paper to Pull Salary Data

By Ryan Murphy May 12, 2011

In an apology issued Thursday morning, The Monitor announced that, in response to reader complaints, it will remove public school district salary data it posted earlier this week. Full Story
30 Years Later, Banks, Prosecutor Face Off Again Over Death Penalty

By Brandi Grissom May 10, 2011

In a Texarkana courtroom Monday, Delma Banks Jr. faced again the district attorney's office that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled committed misconduct when it successfully fought to send him to death row in 1980 for the shooting death of 16-year-old Richard Whitehead. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Amendments Piled Onto Education Finance Bill

By Becca Aaronson May 9, 2011

Senators today amended an education finance reform bill to allow community college students to carry concealed handguns on campus, increase the cost of cigarettes and allow drastic changes to university administration. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Wentworth Gets a Win for Campus Carry

By Aziza Musa May 9, 2011

Sen. Jeff Wentworth is relentless with campus carry, and today, the San Antonio Republican got his way. Full Story
Loser-Pays Bill Clears Texas House

By Morgan Smith May 9, 2011

Texas got one step closer today to becoming one of the few states with a rule that awards legal fees to prevailing parties in lawsuits. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Senate OKs Concealed Carry for Lawmakers

By Becca Aaronson May 9, 2011

Texas lawmakers — current and former — may soon be able to pack heat at church, the hospital, a sporting event or even bars. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Death Row Inmate Faces Same Prosecutors Who Committed Misconduct

By Brandi Grissom May 8, 2011

At a hearing Monday in a Bowie County state district court, lawyers for Delma Banks Jr. will ask the court to disqualify prosecutors who the U.S. Supreme Court ruled suppressed evidence and deliberately covered up mistakes in a 1980 murder trial that sent the young black man to death row. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith May 7, 2011

Aaronson on the latest attack on Planned Parenthood, Aguilar previews the sanctuary cities debate, Grissom on a death row inmate's unsuccessful appeal, Hamilton on the UT System's faculty "productivity" data dump, Philpott on the prospect of lawsuits over education cuts, Ramsey on puppies and other distractions, Ramshaw on a tobacco fight, my interview with the presidents of UT-Austin and Texas A&M, M. Smith on a former State Board of Ed member who may have violated state ethics law, Stiles interactively displays the effects of House redistricting and Tan on the Senate budget end game: The best of our best content from May 2 to 6, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Video: The Week in Texas Politics Recap, May 2 to May 6

By Justin Dehn May 6, 2011

No time to follow all the happenings of the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly recaps of the action under the dome. Full Story
Perry: We Have a Tort Reform Emergency

By Morgan Smith May 6, 2011

With the House set to take up a loser-pays bill for the second time tomorrow, Gov. Rick Perry has added an item to his emergency list: tort reform. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Juvenile Justice Merger Heads to Governor

By Aziza Musa May 5, 2011

A bill to merge Texas' two state juvenile justice agencies is headed to the governor for a signature. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Update: First Texas Execution Done With New Drug Protocol

By Brandi Grissom May 3, 2011

Less than a month before his scheduled execution, Cary Kerr had no attorney. And the ones he had had up to that point, he argued, didn’t do him much good. Tonight, his appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to stop his execution was turned down. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
TribLive: Powers and Loftin on Higher Ed Reform, Budget Cuts

By Evan Smith May 2, 2011

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the need for higher education reform, the impact of budget cuts, the predicament of middling graduation rates and more. Full Story

Credit: Jacob Villanueva
Audio: Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin at TribLive

By Evan Smith May 2, 2011

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the need for higher education reform, the impact of budget cuts, the predicament of middling graduation rates and more. Full Story

Credit: Jacob Villanueva
Video: Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin at TribLive

By Evan Smith May 2, 2011

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the need for higher education reform, the impact of budget cuts, the predicament of middling graduation rates and more. Full Story
House Tentatively OKs New Juvenile Justice Agency

By Brandi Grissom April 28, 2011

Texas youths who get crossways with the law could soon find themselves under the supervision of a new state juvenile justice agency whose main mission is to keep young offenders close to home and quickly headed in a more positive direction. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
TribLive: Powers and Loftin Oppose Campus Carry

By Evan Smith April 28, 2011

At this morning's TribLive conversation, UT President Bill Powers and A&M President Bowen Loftin explained why they oppose legislation that would allow concealed hanguns on college campuses. Full Story
Wentworth Surprises Senate With Campus Carry

By Christopher Smith Gonzalez April 27, 2011

State Sen. Jeff Wentworth surprised his colleagues and brought the Senate to a standstill today when he tried to tack his controversial campus carry bill onto another measure. Full Story

Credit: Texas Senate